


Fredag, 21:15 - Operation Rescue Isak

by Stria (Asia117)



Series: Butterfly effect. [2]
Category: SKAM (TV)
Genre: Biphobia, Chatlogs, Eating Disorders, F/F, Femslash February, Fluff, Gay Bar, Lesbophobia, also talking about throwing up, and she's about to become isak's friend fight me on this, i'd call it light petting? so not really smut but, in other words just wilhelm being a drittsekk, there's a bit of smut too, there's a hint of Isak/Chris, vilde & noora friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-11
Updated: 2017-02-15
Packaged: 2018-09-23 14:11:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9660725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Asia117/pseuds/Stria
Summary: “At least your hookup of the week has a car, this time.”Eskild’s Hookup of the Week snorts and shifts the gear, accelerating a bit. “Name’s Anders.”“I’m probably going to forget it again,” replies Noora truthfully. “You’re a really decent guy, for what is worth.”[Or, Isak has texted Noora when he's drunk and sad in that gay bar. Things move from there.]





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Omg a sequel so close to the first big fic? The answer is yes, I can't let go of this verse. And probably I'm gonna write an Isak-meets-Even fics too, because this verse has less angst and it's my baby.
> 
> As per usual, pay attention to the eating disorder talk if you're triggered by that!!

Fredag, 21:15

“Tell me again, why are we calling it _Operation Rescue Isak_ , Eskild?”

Eskild looks at her out of the corner of his eye. “Because, Noora, that boy was so drunk he couldn’t even text his proper location, and we’re looking for him in every. Single. Gay. Bar in Oslo. So we either die first or we are really lucky.”

Noora snorts and bites her lip. She’s really worried, and Isak has stopped answering. “At least your hookup of the week has a car, this time.”

Eskild’s Hookup of the Week snorts and shifts the gear, accelerating a bit. “Name’s Anders.”

“I’m probably going to forget it again,” replies Noora truthfully. “You’re a really decent guy, for what is worth.”

Anders waves his hand. “I should be a monster to let that pass, honestly.”

Isak texted her an hour ago, and she thought it was just his texting style being a bit jumbled, but she tried to text him back and he was definitely drunk out of his arse. At eight in the evening, honestly. He told her he was in a _gay bar_ and he needed help, and that he hated karaoke.

She barged in Eskild’s room almost in tears, and explained the situation. Admittedly, she did feel some sort of satisfaction at getting back to him for barging on Eva and her countless times now—he was definitely interrupted, even if she didn’t give him pointers on how to suck cock.

So yeah, Eskild’s Hookup of the We—Anders pulled out a list of gay bars doing karaoke on Friday, and they were going through the list to see if they could find Isak in one of them. Hopefully.

They’ve been in five of them so far, and really, if Noora knew where Isak lived, this would have been simpler. She’s debating if she should tell Eva or not, because Isak might have texted her, but if he didn’t, he probably doesn’t want Eva to know.

Or he didn’t because he was expecting Noora to tell Eva anyway, since they’re together.

Or, more realistically, he didn’t even think about Eva because he was drunk. But Sober Isak might not react well if Eva knows before he’s ready to tell her or something, and he probably will already be angry because Noora told Eskild and his Hook—Anders. Then again, what was she going to do otherwise? Looking for him alone and without a car?

Noora gives herself another two bars as a limit. After that, she’ll call Noora and ask where Isak lives so they can do a… triangulation, or something like that.

“Okay, there’s no parking spot on this one, you get out and I’m going to wait in the car.” Anders tilts his head towards a hole-in-the-wall bar that looks really… not queer women-friendly. Noora sighs, watches the _macho-man_ of the sign, and plasters herself to Eskild’s side when they get out of the car. Eskild slings an arm around her and squeezes a bit. “No hetero.”

“No hetero,” Noora repeats, and smiles a bit. It’s kind of become an inside joke between Eskild and her.

The bar luckily doesn’t have any control at the door, and they can slip in without problems. Inside, it’s all men in various states of drunkenness, and a host with a microphone is trying cheerfully to get someone who looks no more than 18 to sing. Noora smiles a bit and they head towards the bartender.

“We’re looking for a young boy, blonde, slim? On the tall side. Very drunk and very sad.” Noora has never been great with descriptions, let’s face it. But she doesn’t want to say that Isak is underage, and she doesn’t know what else to say.

The bartender, a beefy guy in his thirties, with a beard and a hipster haircut, tilts his head towards his side. “You mean that one?”

Noora whips her head towards the direction the bartender is pointing, and she sees Isak sitting at the barstool, his face almost squashed on the marble. Noora detaches herself from Eskild, leaving him to thank the bartender, and throws herself on the seat near Isak’s. _Fy faen_.

“Hei, Isak?” She approaches him hesitantly, she doesn’t know what to do. Isak has vacuous eyes full of unshed tears, and doesn’t look at her, even if he turns his head in her direction. “Are you okay?”

Of course he’s not okay, what a stupid question. Isak is slowly in his reactions, but in the end he speaks. “Okay? I’m super duper okay. Depends who’s asking.”

He’s slurring a bit, and Noora doesn’t know what to do. She got used to Eva being drunk, especially during the holidays, but Eva is always a happy drunk, and when she’s sick Noora usually just has to hold her head and then refuse her kisses _very insistently_ , but nothing more. And she doesn’t actually talk to Isak, beside that one half-arsed conversation in which she offered her help.

Well, she thought Isak would never accept and now here she is.

Eskild puts a hand on her shoulder, and leans into Isak a bit. “We finally found you, big guy,” he says, in a light tone. Noora is grateful for him.

Isak seems panicked though. “Found me? Who found me? Don’t wanna go home! Don’t wanna!” He starts fidgeting in distress, and a couple of tears run down his cheek.

“No, no home Isak, nobody is taking you home. I swear.” Noora glances at Eskild and puts her hand on Isak’s arm, slowly. “It’s Noora. Noora Sætre. You texted me asking me to come.”

“Noora!” Isak’s gaze is still unfocused, but he kind of perks up and looks towards her. “Noora, kind, lovely, beautiful Noora! You’re not bringing me home, aren’t you?”

Noora smiles a bit against her will. “Absolutely not, I promise. I’m bringing you with me.”

Isak squints his eyes and purses his lips. “With you? Not home?”

Noora squeezes his arm lightly. “To the kollektivet. Not home.”

“Not home. Good. Don’t wanna go home.”

Noora shakes her head slowly, then realises Isak is probably too unfocused to see her. “No, not home. Can my friend Eskild help you?”

Isak seems to realise there’s another person with them, and his eyes widens a bit. “Is he a police officer? Does he want to arr—arrest me because I’m drunk and seven— _hhmpf_.”

Noora retracts her hand from Isak’s mouth as soon as Isak licks her palm, a bit grossed out. “He’s my flatmate. You’ll like him, I promise.”

She puts her arm around Isak’s torso, and makes him get up. Eskild picks up his coat, and Noora shakes her head at him: she hopes the way to the car will be fast, because she’s literally sustaining Isak from his armpits, she can’t make him wear his coat.

Eskild goes to Isak’s other side, and Noora finally doesn’t have Isak’s weight all on her. The boy is tall, and Noora is kind on the short side so it makes sense that he’s taller than her, but he’s almost taller than Eskild is, and Eskild is a fucking 95er.

They get out of the bar, practically dragging Isak with them, and they get him in the car as fast as possible to avoid the biting night cold. Anders observes him with a clinical eye, then hands Noora a plastic bag without saying anything. “I’m driving slowly, but I don’t want to have to take my car to the cleaner because someone puked in it.”

Noora snorts. Fair enough. She puts Isak’s coat on her leg, and then, gently, makes Isak lie on it. “How are you feeling, baby?”

Isak looks at her, his eyes shining a bit. “Everything’s spinning. Where are we going?”

“At the kollektivet. With me.” Noora caresses his hair, and it’s a bit sweaty but she feels like Isak needs now. “Then tomorrow we’ll have a big breakfast to cure the hangover and we’re set, okay?”

Isak’s eyes are almost closed, and he pushes into Noora’s touch. “Okay,” he slurs, and smiles a bit. Noora keeps caressing him distractedly, and looks out for any sign that he might be feeling ill.

Eskild looks at her and murmurs, “the bartender told me he started serving him water half an hour ago, and he didn’t even realise. We still should make him drink a bit, just to be safe.”

“Did he drink something at the bar?”

Eskild nods. “Apparently he showed up already drunk, but he downed two shots before the bartender could take a better look and decide he was done with the alcohol for the evening.”

Noora sighs. She’s not against alcohol, besides not drinking herself because it makes her black out or feel sick. But it’s one thing when you just want to have fun and get drunk like Eva does, and another when you try to deal with your own problems by getting drunk. At least he’s not high too, she supposed, because she knows it’s Jonas who usually has the green, and she doubts Isak told Jonas he was drunk at a gay bar.

When they get home, she sends Eskild and Anders on their way, promising to call them if problems arise, but she knows the practical sides of taking care of drunk people, thanks to Eva mostly.

She makes Isak drink half a bottle of water, then helps him—she really hopes he won’t fucking remember this in the morning—in the bathroom, and tucks him in her bed with all the clothes on and an extra duvet in case he’s cold during the night. And a bucket near the bed because honestly.

Isak falls asleep as soon as his head touches the pillow. Noora stays awake for a bit, watching his peaceful expression while he sleeps. Tomorrow they definitely have to talk, and she has to tell Eva something, since they’re supposed to see each other.

She hopes Isak will be good enough and not too hungover.

 

Lørdag, 12:45

“Did you really force myself to pee while sitting and then stayed there to check that I did?” Isak’s voice is groggy and he looks disheveled and disgruntled. Noora pauses, her orange juice (150ml, 50kcal) halfway to her mouth, and tries not to laugh.

“You were really drunk?” She offers weakly, and Isak rolls his eyes, only to moan from the pain a moment later. “I didn’t want to clean any mess.”

“I wasn’t _that_ drunk,” he murmurs, but doesn’t say anything to Noora’s raised eyebrows, and goes to sit meekly at the table. Noora puts a plate with a cheese toast and salmon in front of him. “I—”

“Talk later,” Noora interrupts him a bit frantically. “Now you eat, and then you down an aspirin. Then we can talk.”

Isak snorts and nods slowly, mindful of his head. “Okay, takk. For everything.”

Noora shrugs, and downs the last of her orange juice. “Told you, if there was something you needed…” She busies herself with preparing water for the tea; she’s not a tea lover, that’s Eva, but sometimes she just needs a warm cup between her hands.

Isak finishes his toast in three bites and a half, and then downs two aspirins with a glass of orange juice, and then looks like he’s about to throw up because he ate too fast. _Not on the kitchen floor, please not on the kitchen floor_.

Isak doesn’t throw up, fortunately. He just looks at her, and he looks like a beaten puppy, pale-faced and sad. Noora feels something in her stomach, and her lips turn down.

“I meant it. Takk.” Isak looks really serious, and Noora doesn’t know how to react. What kind of jackass just leaves someone to their fate when they’re obviously drunk and in distress? Had it been something less important, or seemingly less important, Noora would have been more likely to just tell Isak to fuck himself. But even if Isak wasn’t in that state of distress when they found him, even then she would have problems thinking about leaving a drunk underage boy drunk, scared and alone. “It’s okay, Isak, really.”

She doesn’t want to force him to talk, she wants to waits for when he’s ready, but on the other hand Eva is going to come soon, and she doesn’t know what to tell her, or if Isak wants to be seen and so on.

“So, about yesterday…” Isak trails off, unsure, and Noora nods. She seats herself on the counter and looks away from Isak to give him space to talk whenever he wants to. Isak seems grateful for it. “I wasn’t joking when I said I didn’t want to go home. I’m sorry.”

Noora shrugs, looks at the pot with the tea steeping. “It’s okay, we’ve all got fucked up families I think.”

Isak snorts. “I mean, I got a crazy mother and my dad abandoned us because of it. Took his things and fucked off, and I was left alone caring for her, and she doesn’t admit she has a problems and—” his voice breaks in the middle of the sentence. He takes a shaky breaths and looks down, wipes rabiously at his eyes. When he raises his head, he looks straight in Noora’s eyes. “I don’t deserve this.”

Noora purses her lips, and nods slowly. “Nobody does.”

“I love her a lot, but I can’t do that. I don’t deserve this. I hate my father. I don’t care if I’m a bad person because of that.” Isak raises his chin in defiance when he says it, but Noora can see how tense his posture is. She sighs.

“You’re not a bad person, Isak. I spent Christmas at Eskild’s because I don’t talk with my parents anymore outside of a monthly allowance they send me. They’re terrible parents. And this is objective, it doesn’t make me a bad person.”

Isak nods, still unsure. “Yeah but to know it is one thing, and…” he makes a gesture with his hand. Noora nods again.

“So, what are your plans now?” She asks carefully. Isak just looks at her with confused doe eyes and raises his shoulders.

“I don’t really know, I’m—I just don’t want to go back home.”

“Well well _well_ , if that isn’t rescue boy.” Eskild waltzes into the kitchen, wearing his robe and smiling big. “Anders says hi to both of you.”

Isak has a horrified expression in place. “Um?” He looks at Noora for help, and Noora tried her best not to laugh in Isak’s face.

“He’s Eskild, my flatmate. He and his Hookup of the Week were together with me yesterday, when we came to look for you.”

Isak’s expression turns even more horrified. “... What?” he murmurs, unmoving. Eskild sees it, and his expression becomes more cautious.

“Anders had the car, and I wasn’t about to let Noora wander alone in the cold, combing through bars.”

Isak’s face turns as red as a tomato, and he nods, pursing his lips. “Takk, I’m sorry.”

“Nei, pretty boy, it’s okay.” Eskild takes the last cheese toast and smiles up at Noora. “You’re a gift, Noor, seriously.”

Noora snorts. “Leech, guru, leech,” she says affectionately, and to think that only three months ago she wouldn’t dare to joke around like that with Eskild. What a waste. She looks at Isak, and he seems exhausted by the conversation, which adds to the hangover, but she still has to ask him something. “Eva is supposed to come in a bit. What do I tell her?”

“Uh,” Isak looks like a deer caught in the headlights, and he shakes his head. “I can—I can talk to Eva, it’s okay if she knows.”

Eskild has the face of a person who’s dying of curiosity, but he wisely chooses to keep his mouth shut. Noora smiles and nods. “Kay, I just wanted to tell you so you’d be prepared.”

Isak’s smile in response is tiny, but it’s there.

 

Lørdag, 17:32

Eva is comfortably nestled under Noora’s arm, her legs on Noora’s. They’re snuggling under a blanket, and they’re supposed to study, but Noora really has no intention of moving for a bit.

“I’m worried about Isak,” Eva says, her lips on Noora’s neck. “I wish I was able to invite him to stay at mine, but mum’s staying home a bit more these days, so I’m not sure I can.”

Noora’s worried about Isak too (though probably less than Eva, to be fair, because Isak is Eva’s friend and all that jazz), but she find it difficult to think about anything else that’s not Eva’s body pressed on hers, her warmth almost overwhelming.

She kisses Eva’s hair. “He can stay here, at least for the time being,” she murmurs slowly. She has to talk to Eskild, but he looked even more ready to adopt Isak as his baby duck.

Lesson number one: always trust Eskild’s gaydar.

Lesson number two, don’t call Eskild Guru, or it’ll go to his head.

Eva nods, her lips up and down on Noora’s neck. “You’re so good, Noora. Such a good person.”

Noora doesn’t feel particularly like a good person right now.

“I would be a monster to leave him in the street,” she says, her voice trembling.

She feels Eva smirking, and she rolls her eyes. Eva knows _exactly_ what she’s doing.

“But, still. Can’t I be proud of you?”

Noora tries to control her breath, to no avail. “Eva.”

Eva abandons every pretence of talking, in favour of biting her neck lightly, and Noora’s breath hitches. She turns her head, giving Eva space, closing her eyes to feel better.

“Nooramor, you tell me when you’re not comfortable?” Eva’s nosing at her neck, but her voice is serious, and Noora smiles. They talked a bit, not a lot, but Eva knows about her reticence about sex, and she’s okay with it, and Noora is okay with snogging and trying on new things, and she did know it in theory, but experiencing the fact that a relationship can be so relaxed is a new thing for her.

“Of course I will, baby. At worst, you’ll receive a kick in the shin.” Eva laughs, and licks Noora’s neck.

“I’m okay with that.”

Noora would like to laugh, seriously. Eva is always so funny, and even when bringing intimacy she’s laughing. But right now Noora is too overwhelmed to do anything other than panting and grabbing Eva’s hair like a lifeline.

She enjoys the feeling of not being the one to take the reins, for once. She’s always the Hermione Granger of the situation, but with Eva they can be peers, they can take turns at taking initiative, especially during moments of intimacy, when Noora feels a bit lost on what to do.

Eva is hovering over her, hair falling down everywhere, and cheeks a bit red. “Do you prefer to be all dressed up or do you want to take out something?” She asks, and she’s smiling sweetly.

Noora bites her lower lip. “You can do whatever you want,” she says, and she knows Eva will probably shred as much as possible because she hates clothes. “I’m—maybe the shirt off?”

“Are you asking or stating?” And this is good, see, because Eva always makes sure Noora’s sure of what the wants. Noora smiles and nods, more confident.

“Stating. Shirt off for me,” she says, and Eva’s gaze burns on every single centimetre of skin she uncovers. She feels hot and she gets goosebumps when she meets Eva’s eyes, dark and wide open.

“You’re fucking beautiful, Nooramor,” she says, her voice low, and Noora might not believe her entirely yet, because of her tummy that’s not flat and her love handles, but she trusts the fact that Eva really thinks those things.

Eva’s only in underwear, and she’s so obviously confident with her body that Noora would be ugly jealous, if she weren’t her girlfriend. Instead, she just watches Eva moving like she owns the space around her and she owns her bed. “You are, too.”

“What a couple, huh?” Eva asks, her eyes glittering. Noora snorts and grabs her waist, squeezing a bit. Eva is soft, so soft, and Noora likes it so much; when she pulls Eva towards her, Eva comes easily, intertwining their legs and using her elbows as not to crush Noora.

“What a couple indeed,” Noora murmurs, and kisses Eva fiercely. The skin on skin contact is electrifying, she’s really aware of every point of contact. She arches into Eva, and caresses her back slowly, enjoying it.

Eva goes back to working on her neck, and Noora knows she’ll have to wear a turtleneck to school on Monday as to avoid any stupid stare by people who think they are entitled to their relationship. But in this moment, she doesn’t care; she offers her neck to Eva, and lets her nibble and suck however she pleases.

Eva’s skin is soft, and she lets herself touch a bit more, up the expanse of her back, and then down, down towards her bum. Eva’s soft and round there too, and Noora squeezes and pulls, making her arch her back and let out a surprised moan.

Eva looks at her with hooded eyes, and Noora feels a swoop in her stomach; she can’t believe she got so lucky.

“Fucking hell, Noora.”

Noora feels powerful all of a sudden, and she surges and bites Eva’s neck quite hard. Eva is breathing raggedly, waiting for her next move, and Noora brings one of her hands to the fastener of Eva’s bra, rests it there. “Can I?”

Eva’s got a flush that spreads down on her chest, but she raises her chin, challenging. “I don’t know, can you?”

And Noora laughs this time around, and rolls her eyes feigning offence. “ _May_ I?”

Eva bites her lobe, blows a bit to make her shiver. “You may, baby.”

Noora is still new to Eva’s breasts. They’re perfect, small and pointy and Noora wants nothing more than to taste her nipples, but for now she just caresses her breasts slowly, savouring the moment.

Eva grasps at her hair and pulls a bit, not hard enough to hurt her but hard enough to make her feel it, and Noora shivers. She realises she’s moving her hips against Eva’s thigh when she feels Eva moving back against her thigh, and she squeezes Eva’s breasts a bit.

When she takes one of Eva’s lips in her mouth, Eva almost cries out, and squeezes her legs against Noora’s thigh. Noora likes it, likes the way she can make Eva lose control with just a small amount of teeth. She’s delicate, careful as not to hurt Eva, and she massages her other breast a bit, her other hand on Eva’s arse.

She could probably die like that, Eva over her gasping at everything she does.

“Babes, I know you’re—Christ, sorry! Sorry!”

Both Eva and her startle, and Noora is quick to cover both. “Eskild? Are you _fucking serious_?!”

At least he had the decency of closing the door this time.

 

Lørdag, 18:01

“Did I really ruin the mood?” Eskild is drinking a beer, a bowl of chips in his hand. In his defence, he does look contrite. Noora is not in a forgiving mood, though.

“I’m literally not talking to you,” she says, resolutely not looking at him.

Eva is sitting with her head on Isak’s shoulder, and, even if she’s smiling, she nods and gestures towards herself. “You did ruin the mood, and honestly we’ll just wait for you to bring home someone tonight, and then will barge in your bedroom banging pots like that meme.”

“Okay, done. I’m at Anders’ tonight,” says Eskild with an air of finality that makes Noora snorts.

She feels happy that Eva is talking about them as a unity, as a _we_. “You know that revenge is a plate that’s best served cold, Eskild. Just you wait.”

“Christ, I didn’t know, I swear!” Eskild looks affronted for a bit, and Isak snorts.

“Okay, but honestly, what did you think they were doing behind closed doors?” He asks, and he’s smiling lightly. He spent the better part of the afternoon playing videogames with Eskild, and he seems more relaxed now. “Looking at Noora’s stamp collection?”

“They literally spent so much time studying Spanish before Christmas, how should I know?” Now Eskild looks properly affronted, and Noora just elbows him, squinting her eyes.

“I really love you, but even María and Ale never came into my room when the door was closed. You saw them.” Eskild met them and they spent the New Year’s Eve together, the five of them, going to a party in a club downtown. It was a beautiful holiday, and Noora plans to go to Madrid for Easter.

“They know better than me, for sure,” Eskild says, and takes a big swig from his bottle.

Noora won’t kill him. Not this time, at least.

 

Søndag, 09:36

Noora sits beside Isak, on the couch where he’s sleeping. She has two cup of teas in hand, and she nudges gently at Isak’s sleeping form, smiles when he looks at her grumpily. “I brought you tea as a peace offer.”

Isak half-sits on the couch and takes one of the cups from her hands. He nods, his eyes downcast and his lips pursed. Noora’s heart hurts a bit; she could have started with something better.

“I’ve talked with Eskild and Linn, and we all think that you can stay for whatever time you need, but if you plan to stay more than a month or so, we’ll need you to start pay your share of expenses.”

At her words, Isak perks up a bit, and looks at her with wide eyes, a slow smile spreading on her lips. “Are you serious?”

Noora has the overwhelming feeling of ruffling Isak’s hair, but she refrains. “Yeps, we have to define the details, I don’t know if you want to stay on the couch, or room with me occasionally, we have to talk about that, but we definitely want you here.”

Isak smiles into his cup, and takes a sip in lieu of answering. “Maybe I can room with you when Eskild takes home someone? I don’t think I could bear the noises.”

Noora snorts into her tea and has a subsequent coughing fit that leaves her a bit breathless. Smooth. “Only if you promise to help me cockblocking Eskild.”

Isak rolls his eyes, but his posture is more relaxed, and he’s smiling big.

 

Søndag, 19:48

“Why is Isak here?” asks Vilde while she’s slicing green bell peppers (330g, 49kcal). Noora shrugs.

“He needed something for a… class we share. Notes. For a class we share.” She wishes she were a smoother liar, honestly. All the time spent lying to herself and to others about her sexuality should account for something. And yet.

Vilde raises her eyebrows, and she probably doesn’t believe one bit of what Noora said, but she chooses not to talk about it, and Noora is grateful. “So, green bell peppers, and then?”

“Then sliced red onions. And I’m putting carrots and celery in the mix.” They’re making a veggie pie for school lunches, and Vilde got really into it.

“So… how did it start for you? The not-eating stuff.” Vilde is not looking at her, hyper-focused on slicing onions. Noora breathes deeply.

“The eating disorder,” she corrects, gently. “It was… almost too easy to slip into it, honestly,” she focuses on slicing the carrots (300g, 105kcal) into perfect little wheels. “He told me he just wanted me for my body, and I wasn’t enough for everything else compared to him, because he was obviously out of my league.” She stops a bit, tries to talk about it in a detached manner, just like her analyst always told her. “I just didn’t want to see my body anymore, I just wanted to disappear. To get as small as possible. And this was to add to the fact that I didn’t want to grow up because the more I grew up, the more my parents lost interest in me.” That was probably the factor that had contributed the most, and her ex being awful was just the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Vilde hums, and doesn’t say anything for a bit. Noora likes that there’s no need for her to say anything, because she knows that Vilde can partly understand. There’s no need to fill the silence with customary _I’m sorry_ that wouldn’t mean anything, not to Noora.

“And did you have issues with your self-image?”

“Yes, but they were secondary, I think.” _Not like yours_ , she thinks, and she knows Vilde can hear it. “They came after I stopped eating. I was afraid to gain weight back, look at myself in the mirror, and see my stomach. We can chop the chards now,” she adds, seeing the onions perfectly chopped.

Vilde nods, and looks at the dough rising in the oven. “It’s going to be a good pie, I can’t wait for tomorrow,” she says smiling, and elbows Noora lightly.

Noora grins and waves the chards leaf like it’s a magic wand. “We’re going to masterchef!”

 

Mandag, 06:58

“Are you ready, then?” Isak has weary eyes and looks pale, probably not ready to face school, but nods nonetheless. “Put on your brave face and we can go.”

Isak smiles exaggeratedly and as falsely as he can, and Noora snorts. They walk together, and once on the bus, she gives him one of her earphones, smiling a bit.

Isak rolls his eyes and takes it, and the song has already started, but it doesn’t matter.  
_Like a bridge over troubled water  
I will lay me down_

Isak looks at her and smiles. It’s small, but it’s sincere. Noora smiles back and mouths the song at him.


	2. Chapter 2

Fredag 19 Februar, 22:31

“ _And I don’t need no explanation, ‘cause baby you’re the boss at home_ ,” Eva sings to her, taking her braces; Noora scrunches her nose at the lyrics, but she moves to the beat nonetheless. Eva is a bit drunk, and she’s happy and loose. A vision.

Noora puts her hands on Eva’s waist and squeezes, pulls and enjoys Eva’s happy face. “Okay, okay, we’ll dance.”

Eva pulls herself as close to Noora as possible, eyes twinkling. They’re at a big party, the lights are down, and even if there’s a lot of people on the dance floor, Noora doesn’t really care. They can look at them and their PDA, they’ll just be jealous.

They sways on the dance floor, and Noora feels the heavy beat thrumming in her body. Eva has her arms loosely around her neck, and is looking at her right in the eyes. Noora sees the implicit question, and nods minutely.

When they kiss, it’s always something that Noora thought she would never allow herself to feel. Kissing Eva feels like having liquid fire in her veins, and she ends up always wanting more, and more, and more. She bites Eva’s lower lips, and feels, more than hear, her moan in response.

It feels liberating, in a way. She doesn’t even care if there are people staring, she’s out and proud and she’s with an amazing girl, she feels the need to show off her incredible luck. Just three months ago, she wouldn’t have had the courage to even think about herself in such a situation, and now she’s living it, and it’s amazing.

They dance for a bit, and Noora feels shaken all over, drags Eva to the bar to drink something and calm a bit. Eva smiles, knowingly, and she orders two Shirley Temple.

“So, you’re still keeping up with the bisexual act to catch my attention?” Noora whips her head towards the voice, and of course it’s William. Of _course_ it’s William, could it have been anyone else, honestly. He’s with Penetrator Chris, and he’s still smiling creepily, like he doesn’t have any other facial expression. “You made it, you can stop now.”

Eva, their two drinks in hand, looks at him horrified. “Bisexual _act_?!” she asks incredulous. William barely even looks at her, his gaze fixated on Noora’s. She rolls her eyes and puts one arms around Eva’s waist. “Could you be more gross, Wilhelm? I think you still haven’t done enough to make me despise you.”

Chris snorts, and elbows William lightly, his eyebrows raised. “Dude, even _I_ would have stopped eons ago. It’s kind of ridiculous.”

Noora immediately likes Penetrator Chris more.

“Besides, if you ladies both want to do something with me…”

Okay, scratch that. Noora makes a face. “Seriously?!”

Penetrator Chris raises his hands in mock surrender. “You never know if you don’t try.”

Eva puts her head on Noora’s shoulder. “Honestly, you shouldn’t even talk to any of us until you got that biphobia out of your system.”

William raises his eyebrows. “I still don’t believe you.”

Amazing. Noora rolls her eyes, takes her Shirley Temple (150 millilitres, 110kcal) and takes a long sip from it. “Farewell, _drittsekk_. Bye, Chris.”

 

Lørdag, 11:41

“So, I saw you arguing with William last night,” Sana says, looking interested at a scarf, and Noora rolls her eyes.

“Can you believe he thought I was kissing Eva to get his attention? He called it _bisexual act_.”

Chris looks grossed out. “Yikes. What the fuck?”

Noora shrugs and picks out a white scarf with rainbow embroideries. It’s cute, and it would go so well with Sana’s style. “He’s an asshole. How about this one?”

Chris and Sana look at it critically. “It’s really cute, but I’m not sure it would hold without putting anything underneath. I need something else, maybe.”

“You can go with red?” Asks Chris, “I have a red headband you can put under it. If you want.”

Sana hums thoughtfully. “That could work, actually. I do have a dress in shades of red, so that could definitely work.”

Chris nods and keeps rifling through the scarves, presumably looking for something for her to wear. She’s always dressing like she doesn’t care at all, but she’s a huge fashion nerd, and is now everybody’s advisor when it comes to fashion choices. When Noora discovered it she was with Vilde, who simply shook her head and said _how do you think I always look flawless?_ , and that made sense indeed.

“Oh, you know what they’re saying at school? I heard it yesterday at the party.” Chris is not looking at her, and Noora suspects it’s on purpose. “That you’re with Isak, not with Eva.”

“ _What?_ ” Noora is genuinely flabbergasted. One, because Isak is really not her type, two, because she agree with Eskild in saying that women are not really Isak’s type. Christ.

“Yeah, I don’t know man.” Chris takes a scarf to feel the material, and she shows it to Sana. “I was with Vilde, you know she always knows everything. Apparently since you’ve been arriving to school together and all that… And William probably contributed yesterday, but don’t trust me on this.”

“But I’m very much into PDA with Eva? Like, very much into PDA?” Noora can’t believe it. She’s been cuddling up with Eva at any given occasion. They hold hands under the table during Spanish; they walk each other to classrooms; they sneak kisses every pause in the conversation; they fucking feed each other at lunch, for Christ’s sake. Even Chris is been complaining about how schmaltzy they are.

“I know, I know, it’s not like I don’t.” Chris looks mildly uncomfortable at having to report the news. “But you know what they say. Err. Since you’re both pretty girls and all.”

Noora wants to scream. She really does. But if she screams right now, the only people who will have to suffer are Chris and Sana, and they haven’t done anything. “Of course. Two pretty girls can’t be together for real, they have to do it to catch male attention.”

“I’m sorry,” offers Chris weakly, and Noora lowers her gaze. It’s not her fault.

 

Lørdag, 11:50

_Message to Isak Valtersen: You won’t believe what people are saying about us_

_Message to Isak Valtersen: Unless you already know_

_Message to Isak Valtersen: Anyway we need to put a stop to the rumours._

_Message to Vilde Lien: Vilde, WHY didn’t you tell me about the rumours???_

_Message to Eva Mohn: Baby, have you heard about what they’re saying?_

Lørdag, 17:01

Isak is not really looking at her.

He’s sitting on the couch, fidgeting a bit, and looking resolutely at his knees. Noora sighs; she understands Isak, she really does, and she doesn’t want to be mean, but the situation isn’t fair to either of them, not to speak about Eva.

“Isak…” she says, without knowing well how to go on.

Isak bites his lips, opens his mouth, and a flood of words comes out. “Okay I know I know I shouldn’t have had it happen because it’s not fair to you or Eva but actually I didn’t deny those rumours because they’re actually tr—”

“Isak.” Noora is firm this time. She raises her hand and doesn’t let Isak finish. Isak closes his mouth pretty quickly.

Noora sighs deeply, and wishes Eskild were here, but it’s a thing she has to solve with Isak alone. She wants to call Isak out on his bullshit, but if she had been called out when she wasn’t ready, she probably wouldn’t be here now.

“I don’t care about that, Isak, I’m sorry.” Isak looks at her, and she knows he understood that she’s choosing not to call him out on anything. She sees Isak relax minutely. “The point is that it has to be clear that we’re not together, that I’m with Eva for real.” And for the long run, she hopes. But that’s not the moment to talk about it.

Isak nods, the angles of his mouth downturned. Noora’s sorry, but she also values her current relationship a lot.

“So, what do I have to do?”

“You tell them we’re not together when they ask. I’m not about to leave you alone just because of people running their mouth, but I’m also not keen on encourage rumours.”

Isak nods and sighs. “I know. I’m sorry. Really.”

Noora sits close to him and gives him a side hug. “Everything’s going to be alright, Isak, trust me on this.”

He doesn’t look like he believes her, but he nods nonetheless, and puts his face in her neck. Noora pretends not to feel the wetness on her skin.

 

Lørdag, 18:58

_Message from Vilde Lien: yeah, ooops. Sorry_

_Message from Vilde Lien: if it makes you feel better_

_Message from Vilde Lien: Sana slipped glitter bombs in a lot of their lockers_

_Message from Vilde Lien: they’re gonna have a surprise on Monday_

_Message from Vilde Lien: :3_

_Message from Eva Mohn: yh vilde messaged me I think u had smth to do w/ it lmao_

_Message from Eva Mohn: dw everything will be okay <3 <3 <3_

 

Lørdag, 23:34

Noora is almost asleep when she hears the door open quietly, and Isak slips in.

It’s not the first time he does it—he did it almost every night during the first week, and now it happens at least once per week, always after something that upset him, or a party that forced him to be particularly into girls. The morning after she always wakes up with Isak already gone and pretending that nothing happened, and Noora doesn’t really have the heart to confront him on this; that poor boy is most definitely touch starved, and if he needs human warmth, she’s not one to refuse him. And she doesn’t want him to stop out of fear.

Isak is not out, probably not even to himself, and Isak always refuses to go out with her and Eskild while watching them with big sad eyes. When Isak goes to school parties with Noora, he’s always hooking up with some pretty girl, and then disappearing without her as soon as things get a bit heated. He needs all the support he can get.

When Isak slips under the cover, she doesn’t pretend to sleep like the other times. Instead she turns towards him, eyes semi-closed, and spoons him from behind. She feels Isak going rigid under her touch, but he gradually relaxes when she doesn’t know anything else. He just snuggles into her, and Noora’s heart melts a bit.

The last thing she does before falling asleep is kissing the back of his neck.

 

Mandag, 12:28

_Message to Isak Valtersen: are you denying it?_

_Message from Isak Valtersen: yes Noora_

_Message from Isak Valtersen: why do people even care about other people’s lives_

_Message from Isak Valtersen: why can’t anyone just mind their own business_

_Message to Isak Valtersen: I know Isak_

_Message to Isak Valtersen: I would like that too believe me_

_Message to Isak Valtersen: but we’ll deal with it, okay?_

_Message from Isak Valtersen: stress_

_Message from Isak Valtersen: thank you, Noora._

_Message to Isak Valtersen: don’t be stupid_

_Message to Isak Valtersen: I can safely say you’re a friend, Isak._

_Message from Isak Valtersen: takk_

 

Tirsdag, 19:30

“You don’t seem the person who goes to parties in the middle of the week.” Isak is sitting on her bed, watching her critically while she applies her lipstick.

Noora shrugs, looks at Isak through the mirror. “I know, but it’s been a while since I went out with Eskild.” There’s a party organised by the queer union Eskild is part of, and he promised her she could take a cab as soon as she started feeling tired.

She asked Isak if he wanted to come, but Isak just widened his eyes and shook his head, without even speaking. Noora supposes it’s not the time, not yet.

So she’s going with Eskild and Eva, and she’s probably dragging Eva home when she will want to go to sleep, but oh well. Queer university parties sound good right now.

She finishes applying her lipstick; it’s _Jeanne_ by Nars, because Eskild got her a new non-Estée Lauder lipstick for Christmas and insisted she _should_ wear it when they go out together.

“But we have Ingrid’s party this Friday,” Isak raises both of his eyebrows. “Two parties in a week? Noora.”

Noora snorts. Ingrid’s birthday is today, actually, but she’s throwing a party on the weekend so everybody can come. Eva insisted they’d go, because she’s actually tentatively friends with Ingrid again, and even if things will never be like they were before, she doesn’t want to lose contact with her. Noora can respect that.

“I know, I know. _Livin’ la vida loca_ and all that.” Noora thinks about the fact that Ale and María actually threw parties in the middle of the week when she lived in Madrid, and she ended up either having long discussions with Paula, or in her room, sleeping soundly with ear plugs. Parties in Spain were not like the ones they throw in Norway, they’re mostly get-together with background music and beer. She kind of misses that, kind of misses going out for a quiet drink with friends and being able to enjoy the _botellón_ during the summer. She likes the way people live the city in Madrid, better than Oslo where it seems there is a curfew.

“Don’t come cry to me when you’re tired and you’ll have a 3 in your tests.” Isak is smirking, a bit mockingly, and Noora flips him off.

“For your information, I’ve already studied everything there was to study this week. Don’t come cry to me when you will be the one with 3s.”

Isak’s laughter follows her all the way to the front door.

 

Onsdag, 22:41

“You know what I like of being with you?” Asks Eva suddenly, looking away from her homework. They’re in bed, which is not the best place to do homework, but it’s a compromise they reached because Noora wanted to study and Eva wanted to cuddle.

Noora looks away from the laptop screen. “The fact that we have study dates and your grades are improving?”

“Or maybe the fact that your social skills are improving because of me, who knows,” retorts Eva, eyebrows raising in challenge. Noora puts her hands on her heart in mock offense.

“How dare you, after all I’ve done for you,” she dries an imaginary tear. “I’ve given you li—no, wait, that might become creepy.”

“Do you want me to call you _mamma_?” Eva is grinning, and avoids the swat Noora tries to give her.

“I hate you so much.”

“You _loooove_ me.” Eva closes Noora’s laptop and straddles her. Noora feels suddenly very hot. “No, but seriously, you know what I like?”

Noora takes Eva by the waist and squeezes. It’s her favourite part of Eva, so soft and squeezable, and when she touches Eva there, Eva melts in a small puddle. “Tell me.”

Eva arches into Noora’s touch, smiles knowingly. “The fact that being with you doesn’t seem like an either-or choice. It’s more like the most natural choice possible, and the one I can make without losing anything, and can keep making again and again, and it will only make me happier.

It wasn’t like this with Jonas. It was either him or by best friends, and with you it’s like. My girlfriend _and_ best friend, and my other best friends. It’s amazing.”

Noora is smiling so much that she almost can’t keep her eyes open. She pulls Eva towards her, and squeezes her in a long hug. “Thank you baby, I try,” she tells Eva, and kisses her hair.

“Thank _you_ because god knows when I’d think about my sexuality if it wasn’t for you.” Eva’s voice is muffled by Noora’s pillow. Noora smiles.

“I mean, if it wasn’t for my huge crush on you, I probably wouldn’t have thought about it either. And yet.” And yet they’re here, together and happy. Noora couldn’t be more grateful for what’s going on in her life right now.

Eva kisses her softly, tenderly, and doesn’t speak for a bit. Then, she smirks. “Your huge crush on me?”

Noora grins, refusing to take the bait. “Since the first day, babe. You don’t know how scared I was that time in Spanish.”

Eva smiles giddily. “You mean when you literally killed that boy’s ego to come and sit with me? I want that moment framed on my wall.”

Noora throws her head back and laughs. “I psyched myself up all week because of your friend request and the fact that I wanted to talk to you. I still don’t know why you consider me smooth.”

Eva hums the notes to _Mr. Boombastic_ and goes “Smooth!” with an exaggerated hand gesture. Noora laughs again.

“Smooth as silk, sure!”

“Well you always acted smoothly around me, who would have thought you were this huge nerd?” Eva’s eyes are glinting.

“Well, too late now, you’re hooked up with me.” Noora makes a face of finality, and takes Eva’s face between her hands.

Eva comes willingly to the kiss, and they forget their homework for a long bit.

 

Torsdag, 18:06

“Did you take my laundry too?” Isak is looking at her, on the threshold of the bathroom. Noora makes a face.

“Full offense, but without me here none of you would ever do laundry, so yes, definitely.” Isak lift one corner of his mouth, but he looks worried. “Something happened Ike?”

Isak doesn’t even have the strength of laughing at the nickname. Uh. “My dad called. I didn’t answer. He sent a message.”

Noora closes the washing machine lid, doesn’t look at him. She knows Isak does better when he doesn’t feel watched or judged. She just hums noncommittally.

“He told me I should go back home because mum needed me.” Isak’s laugh is bitter, and Noora agrees with the sentiment. His dad has decided to give him money out of guilt, but that won’t stop him from being a fucking asshole. “Do you think he thought about her when he left home without looking back? Do you think he thought about _me_?”

Isak is sniffling quietly, and looking at Noora right in the eyes. She sighs and purses her lips; she wants to hug him, but she knows it’s not the moment.

“And I didn’t deserve all of that. I didn’t. I still don’t. I don’t deserve mentally ill people in my life.”

Noora knows Isak doesn’t mean it, but she can’t avoid being hurt by what he said. “Isak,” she says, and sees him go into defensive mode. She raises her hand to block whatever he’s about to say. “No, listen to me, please. I’m not about to tell you that your parents didn’t do anything wrong.”

Isak purses his lips, and goes to sit on the toilet lid, looking belligerent. Noora sighs again. “Remember when I told you I have problems with food?”

Isak nods, looking confused. “Yeah, you had anorexia, right? You were hospitalised.”

She makes a face and nods. “What do you think anorexia is? A weird alien coming to earth to possess people?” Isak doesn’t say anything, so she goes on. “It’s a mental illness. I was hospitalised because of a mental illness.”

“But—” he seems kind of at a loss for words. “But you’re not like my mother. Like, I don’t mean _you_ , I mean that I don’t deserve the situation I had at home.”

“You meant you don’t deserve to be made the caregiver of a mum who refuses to get help for her mental illness just because your dad fucked off somewhere.” Noora looks right at him. “That doesn’t mean you don’t _deserve_ mental illnesses in your life.” She makes air quotes around the word _deserve_. Isak blushes a bit.

“Yeah, I’m—I’m sorry. What I said was hurtful.” Isak doesn’t look at her, keeps his gaze trained on his knees, and this time Noora goes to hug him, and he doesn’t refuse.

“But you’re right. You don’t deserve this shitty situation.” She caresses his hair slowly, and pretends she doesn’t notice him crying in her hoodie. “At least you have amazing flatmates who do your laundry, innit?”

Isak snorts and sniffles. “At least.”

 

Fredag, 22:30

Noora is looking for Isak.

Eva is drunk out of her mind, hanging onto her arm pleading her to make out, and she left Isak equally drunk, she took her eyes off him for a moment, and now he disappeared. Christ.

At least Isak seemed a happy drunk, but also she _knows_ , because he fucking _told_ her, that he’s not used to drink. She could leave Eva alone, and Eva would befriend everyone in the room and then make them hold her head in case she feels sick, but she doesn’t think Isak has this capacity.

Christ. The curse of being the sober friend.

Well, she and Sana, but Sana is otherwise preoccupied with Vilde, who decided that tonight would be her first time smoking a joint, and is now waxing poetic about how the world turns. It was a fun sight, but she really needs to find Isak now.

He’s not with Jonas and his friends, who are smoking in the bathroom, and he’s not anywhere she can see, but nobody has seen him getting out of the house, thank god, so she makes her way upstairs, Eva giggling behind her. She caresses distractedly Eva’s hair, and Eva licks her neck making her shiver a bit, and she sends Eva an unimpressed look. “So not the time, baby.”

Eva pouts. “It’s always the time, Nooramor.”

Noora just shakes her head, smiling, and then looks around in the corridor. There are four doors, three are closed and one is slightly ajar. She chooses to look in that one first, and—oh, fuck.

Isak is inside the room. Isak is inside the room with Christoffer Schistad. Isak is inside the room with Christoffer Schistad and they’re trying to eat each other’s face off.

She checks that Eva’s not looking, because Isak very much didn’t tell anyone about anything, not even her, and she’s the one who found gay porn on his phone. Christ.

Eva is looking at her with half-hooded eyes, squeezing her arm tightly. Noora manoeuvres her so she’s sitting against the wall, and then sits in front of the door, giving her back to it. Eva immediately puts her head on Noora’s knees, and looks at her dreamily. “You don’t have a bad angle, do you?” she asks, and Noora snorts against her will.

“Because you’re my girlfriend, you’re supposed to think that,” she says, and Eva smiles big and sunnily.

“I’m your girlfriend! That’s true!”

Noora caresses her hair, slowly, and then prepares herself to wait for Isak and Chris, and to block everyone who so much as thinks of going into the room. She also should talk with Isak, because that’s not even healthy for him, but she doesn’t know how to approach the matter if he clams up as soon as someone so much as mentions sexuality or _similia_.

She wonders how is it possible that so many of the people in her friend circle are queer; there’s Eskild, and there’s Vilde, and there’s Isak. And there are only other three people she usually talks to, if she doesn’t count María and Ale.

Eva has her eyes closed, and is on her way to a peaceful sleep. Noora should prevent her from doing so, because even if she sleeps here—it’s Ingrid’s home, after all—she’ll have the most awful hangover tomorrow. But getting Eva to stay up or at least drink some water before sleeping would mean leaving her guarding spot, and she doesn’t want to risk that.

She takes a moment to reflect on the irony that kissing Penetrator Chris means, especially since Eva kissed him on Halloween, and now Isak is—well, Isak is doing more than what Eva did, that’s for sure. Also, Isak is drunker than Eva was.

Noora should probably get inside and interrupt everything, but she’s not sure he would appreciate being interrupted and reminder the real world exists too. So she just waits it out, Eva now sleeping soundly on her legs.

 

Lørdag, 02:09

Noora left Eva sleeping at Ingrid’s in the end, with a nice post-it waiting for her once she’ll wake up, plus aspirins and water. Isak, on the other hand, is with her.

He already threw up twice, and the second time ended up crying tiredly on her shoulder, while she made him wash his teeth. He doesn’t talk, just cries quietly, and leans heavily on her.

Noora doesn’t even pretend to put him up on the couch this time, and tucks him under the covers in her room. He looks like he wants to protest for a moment, but she doesn’t give him the time to do that, and turn off the lights, leaving only a nightlight just in case Isak feels the need to get up during the night.

She doesn’t know if spooning him would upset his stomach, so she sets for putting her head on his shoulder, her hands on his chest, and kissing his cheek lightly. Isak lets out a stronger sob, and takes her hand, squeezing it tightly. They fall asleep like that.

 

Lørdag, 08:41

Isak is still in Noora’s arms, sleeping soundly. Noora smiles, kisses him lightly on his hair, and slowly extricates herself to go and make breakfast for everyone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I... did end up writing a second chapter, after all. But this time I'm really finished. I just needed a bit more to explore Isak's character and how it will develop in the next months, because I have all the intentions to write the less-angsty Isak/Even we deserve.  
> I also couldn't avoid putting Isak/Chris there, because I do like them.
> 
> Asp per usual, if you liked it consider leaving a kudo or commenting, that keeps me going! Or come to find me on [tumblr](http://cosenoditea.tumblr.com)!

**Author's Note:**

> If you liked this, maybe consider giving a kudo or commenting. Alternatively, come talk to me on [tumblr](http://cosenoditea.tumblr.com)!
> 
> The song used in the last scene is [Bridge Over Troubled Water](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_a46WJ1viA), by Simon & Garfunkel.


End file.
